Anarchy in the USA

The highly anticipated Anarchy series drops today on digitalgravel.com to and select retailers this week. The backstory is quite interesesting and I highly suggest you actually read it. It’s a part of American history you didn’t learn in your P.E. class.

The Anarchy Series, Official’s second one-time limited release is a tribute to baseball’s first union, the Brotherhood of Professional Baseball Players; the Player’s League. During the late 1880’s commanding baseball team owners were determined to ensure power resided with them, not the players. As a result rules were created that didn’t allow players to campaign for salary raises, the first salary caps were instated, players could not choose what teams they played for and were forced to stay with whoever their first contract was with, and even had to pay rent for their uniforms. Unwilling to be so disgraced the players formed their own league and were quickly termed anarchists.

America had just emerged from a brutal civil war and there had been an “individualist anarchist” movement that faded during this time of reconstruction. The ideology of anarchism did however remain an influence even within the most organized confines of our heritage. “When the spring comes and the grass is green upon the last resting place of anarchy, the national agreement will rise again in all its weight, and restore to America in all its purity, it’s national pastime, the great game of baseball,” affirmed the owner of the National League.

The anarchist spirit that once inspired players to take a stance against oppressors attempting to coil individualism and a union amongst the talented contains parallels that we can all relate to in our present situations, thus inspiring us to drop these hats knowing in advance that the powers that be will no doubt try to shut it down.